Beyond the Overgrowth
by AndyXmas
Summary: There is always a lantern bearer, there is always a bargain, and there are always Edelwood trees. The Unknown became The Unknown somehow, as the Beast did not start off simply as the Beast. But how exactly did The Unknown come to be, let alone beasts and lanterns and Edelwood trees... An Over The Garden Wall (OTGW) prequel.
1. Opening

**A/N: I binge watched this series per request of a friend. Not gonna lie, it hurt me a lot. I got to thinking of my friend and I beyond the wall, jokingly saying I'd be the "pet" of my cat, Streak, whom would be good friends with my friend's cat, Charlie, and bring us along with them and-**

**Anyway, it led to an odd train of thought - as odd as one can get with OTGW - which led to thinking up about the beast and the lantern and all that junk. Clearly, the beast has been around for a while, and the unknown has established different cities and mutations. Some things were clear while others were not. I'm here simply because I don't think the beast started out as, well, the beast. I don't believe that the Woodsman was the only lantern bearer, despite saying he fought the beast for it. Judging by how he acted and proposing a deal with Wirt as the new lantern bearer... the story didn't really add up.**

**So, this is a prequel. This is the story of how "the unknown" came to be, how the beast became the beast, the lantern, and how exactly the woodsman was caught up in all of this.**

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><p>The lantern's light shone brightly through the darkness as the boy trudged forward through the cold, bitter winds that blew. Winter would be coming to an end, soon. The groundhogs had not seen their shadows, a promise that spring would arrive earlier that year than it had the last. Sometimes, however, what nature had planned and what the groundhogs predicted were not one and the same. Five weeks had passed, and while the flora and fauna were now returning, the weather remained all too chilly for the boy.<p>

Behind him loomed a taller figure that remained constantly hidden in shadow. He did not speak, only observe as the boy's pace began to gradually slow down. He had been traveling slowly to begin with, yes, but it was clear with each next step that the boy had given up. So much energy was put into each small step...

Miserable, really. While the boy was giving up, his soul now in his hands, it meant for another Edelwood to begin growing in his vast land. It also meant that he would be carrying his own lantern once more, with no one to do so for him or chop down the spirits of the older children that had become Edelwoods long before. He was brittle, though he would not admit it, and chopping down trees for himself rather than have another do it for him was not ideal. More energy meant the quicker the light would go out. The light could not go out, no. He would not allow it.

A long pause made itself known to the creature as he noticed just how long it had been from the last footstep he had heard in front of him and the complete stopping of movement. Twenty seconds would pass. Finally, the boy would fall over, the lantern falling onto the ground rather roughly beside him and out of his hand.

There was no point in encouraging the child to go on nor egging him to give up. The whole process was a matter of the individual losing hope themselves and submitting to The Unknown and the large forest. Instead, the beast quickly headed to the lantern, closing the little door that had been opened upon impact and holding it by his side once inspected carefully.

Almost immediately, the roots started to grow, and the boy, now completely blacked out, was beginning to become an Edelwood tree himself. The roots were strong by the looks of it, and it would take a sharp axe to be able to save him. Within a couple of days, a nice, tall tree would take his place and there would be more fuel to keep his flame burning. The time it would take, though, to try and harvest from the tree would be a long process for the beast. He did not want to return to that kind of a life. His time frame was short, though it was not the worst it had ever been as the lantern continued to burn and light part of the way. Time was always too short for his liking though with that lantern. He needed to lure another child to bear the lantern for him and carry on his legend.

The only problem, though, was that while children were easy to trick, they gave up rather quickly and he would be searching for another helper almost as soon as he had made an agreement with a child. Children were gullible but quick to wear down and it was rather tedious in comparison to his other method of simply keeping children lost and watching within mere days of his forest expanding.

If only he had an adult to carry his lantern and harvest wood from the Edelwood tree. Someone to find an easier way to destroy the trees and create the proper oil to keep him going. Adults were not as gullible, though, as children were. He would need to find a way to talk a human into doing his work for him.

But how?

These were questions that the beast did not know.

"Well, Deacon, it seems our agreement has come to an end." The beast mused to himself. A branch stuck out, sprouting a leaf or two. "You've been of good service." His only answer was silence. As it should have been. Anything else would have been concerning.

For a moment, as he watched the being that had once been a human child be enveloped by nature and transform and couldn't help but stare at his face. Though he was gone, there was a certain part of him that contained life. A life for his own, he thought briefly, turning his attention once more to the lantern. Still shining brightly, still working, still keeping him alive. If that even was what he was.

Was he alive? Was he really? There had been a time that he, too, had been a human that had ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. A time where he, too, had been lost and made a few poor decisions on his part. But that was a very long time ago. A time he had almost forgotten about as his focus had mainly been on adding on to his collection of lost souls to feed his lantern. The man that had wandered this very area - no, the boy that had wandered this very area so many moons ago was dead. He was no boy, no man, not even considered human. Not anymore. He had given up thinking that upon the first time someone had the misfortune to see his face and twisted features in the light.

As he pushed away the rest of his thoughts and refused to dwell on memories past, the beast moved onward, taking a deep breath as he focused and tried to find a child that had either wandered too close or knowingly came into The Unknown. There was no time, after all, to stand about. He had a lantern to keep feeding oil and someone to talk into working for him. That did not mean he could reflect on his life or what had been his life.

For his next target, which he could sense not very far at all but maybe a couple of miles away, he would lure them towards him rather than wait for another lost one to appear. The beginning of spring or not, it was not the type of climate or season that adolescents began to get themselves lost and stayed at home. For now, he just needed another person to serve him. He would think of a better long term solution on the way to execute afterward. Maybe he would strike a teenager and have a much longer time for someone to carry his burden than a twelve-year-old would. A teenager would grow up and into an adult. Sure, when their spirit finally broke and rested in his hands, there would be no real profit or Edelwood tree. Yet, the time he would gain just having one person stick around for a longer amount of time...

The beast, he was called. Not "a" beast, but "the" beast. There was no living creature in these parts like him nor struck the same fear into others once seen for what he truly was. Yet given what he was forced to do day in and day out...

Perhaps it was not this land that was evil or cursed. Perhaps it was haunted by a beast.

Perhaps he was that beast.


	2. The Grist Mill

**A/N: I don't think anyone is actually reading this but I'm going to continue it regardless. Why? I really am interested in exploring the background of the beast and delving into the multiple lantern bearers thing. So for now I will continue. If this story remains rather low though in terms of viewings, I will end up canceling it probably by the fifth chapter. It all depends. I may write for myself but I will feel rather foolish sharing something that no one really wants to see, y'unno?  
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**This one is gonna be annoying due to explanations and crap. Fair warning. But like seriously, I had fun writing it but I know some of you are going to be sitting here like "Okay move on please" and everything.**

**Same disclaimer as before. Onward.**

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><p>The woodsman was a very busy man. His time was dedicated to chopping trees and splitting logs to bring to market. It was a job not many enjoyed, mainly because of the amount of labor and time that went into such an occupation, and not very many people could actually accomplish the work. There were many demands that loomed over the poor man's head over the fall and winter for firewood. As spring approached, one would think the warmer weather would have come with it. Not this year. The flowers were out already, blooming beautifully, though there was an undeniable chill that lingered around from the winter, still reluctant to leave and allow for the next season to fully take its place. While it was still chilly, the man had his work cut out for him and guaranteed pay coming in somehow. By the time mid-spring came, he would be using what coin he had gathered from the rest of the year to sustain both the small mill that he and his daughter ran as well as continue to put food on the table before he was needed to chop wood once again. The mill had to run at all costs, no matter how it may have drained their savings. It had to run for his wife's sake.<p>

He hadn't always been known for running the mill. His wife's father had been in charge of the Grist Mill, originally the Langner Mill, earning it through heritage. He had always just been a simple woodsman, taking on the responsibilities of his father before him just as his wife had done. Many had speculated at first that he had simply wanted to own the mill for himself and retire his life work to work a more cushy job at the mill which had been more profitable at the time.

That was not the case. He simply had fallen in love with the young Elizabeth Langner, daughter to the mill owner, and did his best to win her heart. He had succeeded, despite her father's original wishes to marry a man with a more respectable job or had some experience with mills before. Her father had been a rather old gentleman, and he needed to pass on his work eventually. He was weak, but there was something about him that made everyone fear and respect him. Somehow, he would be able to weave words and anything he said would become a reality. Upon his death bed, he had warned his daughter against marrying Kristopher, the simple woodsman, and claimed to do so would be a sin. Within a couple months of his passing and Elizabeth inheriting the mill, the lovers were married. The Langner Mill became the Grist Mill.

Some folks thought that the marriage was a curse as Elizabeth had gone against her father's wishes. Soon, the Grist Mill became less popular and workers began to leave for better job opportunities. Things had looked bleak for the Grist family, when by some miracle Elizabeth became pregnant with their first and only child. However, things would not continue to stay in their favor, as by the next winter during a heavy snowstorm their child was born.

It should have been a happier time, had the doctor that had come been better prepared and the still rather young Elizabeth fell ill. There was nothing the doctor could do and Kristopher Grist was forced to watch his wife suffer, though she tried not to show it.

Her only wishes were simple: keep the mill running and her memory alive. It had been her childhood, and she did not want the Grist Mill to die along with her. It was arguable that the mill had been dying along with her, though the woodsman swore he would find a way to do it. Her other wish was for him to protect their daughter and raise her with enough love for the both of them.

Thus began his life as a widow, juggling not only the failing mill but his old work as well as now raising a daughter by himself. The first wish, though not easy, was accomplished for the most part. The Grist Mill ran, though not as great as it had once been.

His problem, though he would not realize it until much later, was that his main goal had been focused on running the mill at all costs and carrying on his beloved's childhood and lifework. As the years passed, he would give his daughter attention and as much love as he could, yet slowly the time he could give lessened while he tried to simply keep them safe and provide the best he could. This led to the girl feeling rather ignored half of the time and developed a sense of wonder and curiosity for the lands that went beyond their property.

Ayanna Grist had begun to grow up and look like the spitting image of her mother. She was as naive as she was beautiful, with a wonderful sense of imagination to match. She spent her free time reading books and sewing up clothes that had acquired a new mysterious hole in them in one spot or another. When she was not doing that, she would be doing what work she could do within the mill and tried to lighten her father's work load. The faster the work got done, the more time they would be able to spend together. This was not such the case, as still the work pile grew and when the day could be considered done the woodsman would try and sleep as soon as he could and rest.

On this particular chilly spring morning, the woodsman was in the middle of splitting logs while Ayanna ventured outside of the house to see his progress.

"Do you need any help, father?" Ayanna hovered by the porch, sticking her head out as a loud crack sounded and two halves of a log fell to either side of the stump where the man stood. He grunted, removing the axe as he bent slightly to pick up the next log.

"I'm alright." He called back. The girl was not entirely convinced, though knew better to try and argue with the man. Any time she insisted he take a break or rest she was met with pure stubbornness. A grunt could be heard from his end as the next log was divided. Such his routine continued as Ayanna simply sighed and glanced out to the deep wood that lay before them.

Father had told her not to venture beyond the house. It was safer, with odd creatures lurking about and supposedly a beast that claimed children who wandered too far. Only the woodsman would leave, saying he knew the parts better than anyone and the last thing that he wanted was for his child to go into such a place. Even he tried not to stray far from the path as he travelled only where he needed to be and nowhere else. In truth, he was not happy, nor did he ever seem happy, to leave their humble abode to walk among to twisted woods through the chilly air.

Strange, it was, how no matter the time of year, the climate in the woods were always... off. At least, that's what her father said.

Ayanna set to work to tend to the garden. She had just planted some seeds and ignored how winter clung to the lands like a guest that had overstayed their welcome. It may have been cold, but that didn't mean the planting season nor harvesting season would change.

When she walked over, she was pleased to find the dirt had not grown too hard, and that there seemed to be some growth just like with the flowers. A smile crossed the brunette's face, kneeling as she began to dig a trench around where she had planted their crops. Everything seemed to be fine. The only thing that she could do, perhaps, was feed the growing vegetables. Her plan had been from the beginning when watering the garden had been to heat what water she pulled up from the well enough to make its way through the soil and not freeze over. It was not the quickest way to do things, but she saw more as a labor of love. Like how her father would insist on keeping wood inside to prevent any water leaking through if it rained and lugging the massive load in and out every morning and evening.

As Ayanna took hold of her bucket and made her way to the well, she couldn't help but glance over at the forest, into the deeper parts of The Unknown. "Strange," she mumbled. "The fog today... it almost makes it look like the woods are calling to me."

She redirected her attention to the wooden bucket and decided not to dwell on it. There was a reason she was not allowed in those parts. There had to be. Besides, there were things that needed to be done if she wanted to have supper ready for them and maybe have her father finish early. That's what she told herself, as she made her way to the well.

The Beast waited just beyond the edge of the treeline as he watched the Grist family going about their usual business. Ayanna Grist, the young woman that lived there, had always been a target he watched from afar. She was still young enough to harvest her soul, yet old enough with a stubborn spirit to carry on the task of holding the next lantern. His problem was that he had no idea how he could trick her to do such a thing or what sort of deal had to be made that would still work to his favor. Not to mention her father's constant interference the few times she had almost walked straight into his arms.

Yet every year, it seemed the man's efforts were not as strong as before. Perhaps the woodsman was not as worried, assuming his child would not be lost and would seek guidance from him, or that Christopher simply thought she was too old for her soul to be captured.

But that was not the case. Anyone who remained a child at heart as they grew older could still become his.

As the woodsman's work continued to be demanding, by the looks of it, and how his attention had weaned to only performing his job, as Ayanna was rather defenseless. If there were ever a time to strike, it would be now.

The song was quiet, practically a whisper, but it was enough to catch the woodsman's daughter's attention. She stopped in her tracks, having been heading back to the garden only to find herself facing the mysterious wood again.

When had she last dared to creep towards the edge? Perhaps it was childish of her to be thinking such things, or even looking over her shoulder to see if her father was paying any mind to where she wandered. Nothing. Not like when she was younger and he was always keeping a close eye on her. Well, a closer one.

If he was so busy, he couldn't stop her. And one little peak wouldn't hurt, would it?

She looked over the small stone wall around their property, over to the thick overgrowth that lay right ahead. She hadn't ever made it that far. She had never taken a step past the overgrowth and went up to the wall. But now... now she felt she had to try. The wood was beckoning her to finally explore it, and it was not something she could just ignore.

The bucket accompanied her for only another few steps before Ayanna glanced behind once more to watch her father. The woodsman had continued chopping, his rhythm strong. It was okay. She would be okay. The bucket was placed down, and the girl would lift her skirt slightly as she stepped over the flora and to the stones piled up in front of her. When she was younger, it had seemed bigger, daunting from farther away. As she now faced it, she saw how it was not as big as she had thought.

Her hand slowly made its way to the top, running her fingers over the stone. It was cold, smooth, and only fueled her on. One leg over, another, and she was now only three steps away. She'd take three steps, look, and hurry back to continue doing the work she needed to get done.

One step forward.

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><p>One step back.<p>

Another step forward.

The girl clearly seemed hesitant, held back by something. The Beast only moved back more, trying to lure her with his gentle song again into the forest. The moment she stepped on these grounds, she would be easier to pull along.

"How the gentle wind... beckons... through the trees..." Her brows knitted together. Perhaps she had forgotten his earlier singing.

It seemed to be working, as she took another step.

And finally another.


End file.
